Eilandsverordening wapen Sint Eustatius

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COAT OF ARMS for ST. EUSTATIUS

The coat of arms combines in its three parts the past (Golden Rock), present (Fort Oranje) and future (angelfish) of St. Eustatius.

One half of the shield shows a 'Golden Rock' in memory of the name St. Eustatius was given in its glorieus past when its vivid trade made it a very rich island. It is St. Eustatius as it looks when approached from the South-East when the Quill rises from the ocean as a solid rock.

It is surrounded by a red background as Statia is surrounded by the Carribean which is named after the Indians which once lived here: the Caribs.

The other half shows Fort Orange, St. Eustatius' most important landmark and oldest remaining building on the island. It has always been the centre of Statia's social life and focus of all official happenings. Most important historic events also happened here, including the famous First Salute of 1776. It is a beautiful and impressive part of Statia's historical heritage and recognised as such by Satians and visitors alike.

In the tip of the shield is an Angelfish as a symbol of the rich and colourful waters around Statia, an ecological heritage that Statia is careful to maintain and which may become an important part of a future trade as it attracts many visitors. It therefore symbolises the island's future.

Extra attributes:

The shield can be surrounded by a string of blue beads, which are a historical curiosity typical for St. Eustatius and which are still found in its waters. It is also symbolical for the many continents that Statia's people originate from as the beads are also found on locations in America, Europe and Africa and here they are all strung together in harmony, side by side, in one beautiful chain.

The shield can be placed on two crossed sugar cane stalks. Sugar was once the dominant crop on the island, dominating the landscape and bringing trade to the island. Statia's present landscape is still largely determined by the ancient plantations. The often impressive ruins of the plantation houses can be found everywhere and the land is still divided along the lines of the old plantations whereas many of the roads follow the old boundaries.

The shield can be crowned by a wall crown consisting of four turrets with four battlements symbolising the sixteen forts of which the remains still wreathe the island's shores (Oranje, Bouillé, Nassau, Dolijn, De Windt, Corre Corre, St. Louis, Concordia, Jenkins Bay, Tumbledown Dick, Cul-de-Sac, Panga, Royal, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Bourbon battery).

The shield can be accompanied by the device: Superba et confidens. This means Proud and Confident: an island proud of its impressive past and confident of its future.